Gender Stories
Goal: To share personal stories of gender construction, relying on personal experience rather than social stereotypes.
Preparation: Ask students to write a short, 1-2 page reflection on their childhoods, focusing on how they learned to associate with their gender roles. Ask students to think about what messages they received and who sent these messages.
Activity:
1. Split students into small groups. If necessary, ensure that there is gender diversity within each group.
2. Ask students to share their stories with each other.
3. In the larger group, pose thoughtful discussion questions.
Critical Multicultural Pavilion suggests the following questions:
Questions to facilitate a discussion after everyone has shared:
1. Have you ever systematically considered how you developed your gender identity?
2. How are your gender identity and expression still informed or affected by your experiences growing up?
3. What messages do you send to others regarding what it means to be a "boy" or a "girl" or a "man" or a "woman"?
4. How did (has) your schooling play into your understanding of what it meant (means) to be a boy or a girl or a man or a woman?
5. Have you ever been ridiculed or denied an opportunity for doing or saying something that others didn't consider "masculine" or "feminine" enough? How did that make you feel? How did you react? How did it affect your life beyond that single incident?
6. Have you ever ridiculed someone else for doing something you didn't consider "masculine" or "feminine" enough?"
Notes:
1. Because some individuals will include very personal information, some may be hesitant to read their work, even in the small groups. It is sometimes effective in such situations for facilitators to share their pieces first. Consider sharing your piece when you give this assignment. If you make yourself vulnerable, others will be more comfortable doing the same.
2. Be sure to allow time for everyone to be able to speak, whether reading their poems or sharing them from memory.
3. You might need to begin by differentiating between gender "identity" and gender "expression" if you haven't done so already.
Sources:
http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/activities/boygirl.html
Preparation: Ask students to write a short, 1-2 page reflection on their childhoods, focusing on how they learned to associate with their gender roles. Ask students to think about what messages they received and who sent these messages.
Activity:
1. Split students into small groups. If necessary, ensure that there is gender diversity within each group.
2. Ask students to share their stories with each other.
3. In the larger group, pose thoughtful discussion questions.
Critical Multicultural Pavilion suggests the following questions:
Questions to facilitate a discussion after everyone has shared:
1. Have you ever systematically considered how you developed your gender identity?
2. How are your gender identity and expression still informed or affected by your experiences growing up?
3. What messages do you send to others regarding what it means to be a "boy" or a "girl" or a "man" or a "woman"?
4. How did (has) your schooling play into your understanding of what it meant (means) to be a boy or a girl or a man or a woman?
5. Have you ever been ridiculed or denied an opportunity for doing or saying something that others didn't consider "masculine" or "feminine" enough? How did that make you feel? How did you react? How did it affect your life beyond that single incident?
6. Have you ever ridiculed someone else for doing something you didn't consider "masculine" or "feminine" enough?"
Notes:
1. Because some individuals will include very personal information, some may be hesitant to read their work, even in the small groups. It is sometimes effective in such situations for facilitators to share their pieces first. Consider sharing your piece when you give this assignment. If you make yourself vulnerable, others will be more comfortable doing the same.
2. Be sure to allow time for everyone to be able to speak, whether reading their poems or sharing them from memory.
3. You might need to begin by differentiating between gender "identity" and gender "expression" if you haven't done so already.
Sources:
http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/activities/boygirl.html
What's in a Name?
Goal: To share culture on a personal level and understand each other’s cultural background.
Preparation: Ask each student to take some time to discover the story of his or her name.
Activity:
1. Ensure that group discussion rules have been established in advance.
2. If they haven’t discuss appropriate guidelines and parameters for cultural discussion.
3. Ask students to first join with a partner and share what his or her name means and from where it comes.
4. Ask each student to introduce and explain the history of his or her partner’s name to the larger group.
Notes:
1. This activity requires students to share and listen in respectful ways.
2. Students should understand the importance of respecting different cultures before this activity is conducted.
Sources:
http://www.wilderdom.com/games/descriptions/NameStory.html
Preparation: Ask each student to take some time to discover the story of his or her name.
Activity:
1. Ensure that group discussion rules have been established in advance.
2. If they haven’t discuss appropriate guidelines and parameters for cultural discussion.
3. Ask students to first join with a partner and share what his or her name means and from where it comes.
4. Ask each student to introduce and explain the history of his or her partner’s name to the larger group.
Notes:
1. This activity requires students to share and listen in respectful ways.
2. Students should understand the importance of respecting different cultures before this activity is conducted.
Sources:
http://www.wilderdom.com/games/descriptions/NameStory.html
Constructing and Deconstructing Privilege
Goal: To create social inequities in the classroom and explore the psychological aspects of privilege.
Preparation:
Prepare one packet of materials for every 4-5 students in class to make a mobile. At least half the packets should contain an elaborate assortment of materials, and the rest should contain only a few basic materials.
For example, an elaborate packet might include three wooden dowels, two wire coat hangers, a spool of thread, 10 sheets of colored construction paper, felt tip markers, ribbon, streamers, pom-poms, glitter, glue, and tape.
In contrast, the basic packet might include one wooden dowel, one wire coat hanger, a spool of thread, and two pieces of contruction paper.
Activity:
1. Explain that in today's session, the class will be exploring aspects of multiculturalism that are not always recognized or appreciated, and that to do this, you want to conduct a hands-on exercise.
2. Divide the class into groups of 4-5 students, and seat each group at a separate table or work area.
3. Ask each group to spend 15 minutes coming up with a definition of multiculturalism (a different term can be used, but this one usually works well for college students). Tell students that each group should work separately without talking to other groups.
4. While students are discussing multiculturalism, place a packet of materials for making a mobile on each table
5. After 15 minutes are up, ask each group to make a mobile that represents their definition using only the materials provided in the packet.
6. Once the mobiles are constructed, announce that you'd like the groups to present their mobiles to the class. Then ask one of the groups with elaborate materials to present its mobile, and follow this group with a group that was given only basic materials to work with.
7. After the basic mobile has been presented, ask class members what it was like to work on this task, and open a more general discussion of privilege. In this discussion, you might ask privileged students whether they noticed their advantage in resources or whether they attributed underprivileged mobiles to dispositional factors such laziness or a lack of ability. Likewise, you might ask underprivileged students to share how they felt when the mobiles were presented in front of the class
Notes:
1. This activity works best with classes of 10-40 students and can easily be adapted for use with younger students (e.g., by changing the small group discussion topic from multiculturalism to something age appropriate).
2. For instructors using Understanding Prejudice and Discrimination, this activity fits well with Section III (on traditional racism), Section IV (on contemporary racism), and Section V (on sexism).
3. As a follow-up assignment, students might be asked to write a paper connecting the mobile activity with McIntosh, P. (2003). White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack. In S. Plous (Ed.), Understanding Prejudice and Discrimination (pp. 191-195). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Sources:
http://www.understandingprejudice.org/teach/activity/mobile.htm
Adapted from Lawrence, S. M. (1998). Unveiling positions of privilege: A hands-on approach to understanding racism. Teaching of Psychology, 25, 198-200.
Preparation:
Prepare one packet of materials for every 4-5 students in class to make a mobile. At least half the packets should contain an elaborate assortment of materials, and the rest should contain only a few basic materials.
For example, an elaborate packet might include three wooden dowels, two wire coat hangers, a spool of thread, 10 sheets of colored construction paper, felt tip markers, ribbon, streamers, pom-poms, glitter, glue, and tape.
In contrast, the basic packet might include one wooden dowel, one wire coat hanger, a spool of thread, and two pieces of contruction paper.
Activity:
1. Explain that in today's session, the class will be exploring aspects of multiculturalism that are not always recognized or appreciated, and that to do this, you want to conduct a hands-on exercise.
2. Divide the class into groups of 4-5 students, and seat each group at a separate table or work area.
3. Ask each group to spend 15 minutes coming up with a definition of multiculturalism (a different term can be used, but this one usually works well for college students). Tell students that each group should work separately without talking to other groups.
4. While students are discussing multiculturalism, place a packet of materials for making a mobile on each table
5. After 15 minutes are up, ask each group to make a mobile that represents their definition using only the materials provided in the packet.
6. Once the mobiles are constructed, announce that you'd like the groups to present their mobiles to the class. Then ask one of the groups with elaborate materials to present its mobile, and follow this group with a group that was given only basic materials to work with.
7. After the basic mobile has been presented, ask class members what it was like to work on this task, and open a more general discussion of privilege. In this discussion, you might ask privileged students whether they noticed their advantage in resources or whether they attributed underprivileged mobiles to dispositional factors such laziness or a lack of ability. Likewise, you might ask underprivileged students to share how they felt when the mobiles were presented in front of the class
Notes:
1. This activity works best with classes of 10-40 students and can easily be adapted for use with younger students (e.g., by changing the small group discussion topic from multiculturalism to something age appropriate).
2. For instructors using Understanding Prejudice and Discrimination, this activity fits well with Section III (on traditional racism), Section IV (on contemporary racism), and Section V (on sexism).
3. As a follow-up assignment, students might be asked to write a paper connecting the mobile activity with McIntosh, P. (2003). White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack. In S. Plous (Ed.), Understanding Prejudice and Discrimination (pp. 191-195). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Sources:
http://www.understandingprejudice.org/teach/activity/mobile.htm
Adapted from Lawrence, S. M. (1998). Unveiling positions of privilege: A hands-on approach to understanding racism. Teaching of Psychology, 25, 198-200.
"Reflection on a Word": Defining Discussion Expectations
Activity
1.Ask your students to write a word-in this case the word "conversation" or "discussion"in the middle of the paper.
2.For a couple of minutes, students write down associations they make with that word (not definitions). They write whatever comes to mind-metaphors, images, phrases, personal connections-using lines radiating outward, or just clustering ideas free-form on the page. The purpose is similar to that of tilling the soil after the frost; you want to loosen up ideas so there is prime ground from which to cultivate further ideas.
3.Call upon students to share their reflections on the word. Write their ideas on the board or on an overhead transparency for everyone to see.
4.Now help students engage in some critical thinking: Can they group the ideas into categories? What are the broader things to think about regarding real conversations or discussions? (Some broader outcomes for this topic may include: everyone feels valued; each participant can see and hear each other; new ideas about a topic or a book get shared; conversation gives you a better appreciation; everyone's point of view is different, and so on.
5.Ask students: Based on these categories, what sorts of ground rules would help you have satisfying discussions in class?
Involving students in generating rules is crucial, as it gives them a stake in sustaining conversations along agreed-upon lines.
Reflection on a Word also promotes higher-level thinking, useful with any topic. Post the ground rules, as they offer students helpful cues.
Examples for Guidelines for Discussion:
Guidelines for Discussion
Sources:
"Building Literacy Through Discussion: Research-Based Strategies for Developing Critical Readers and Thoughtful Writers in Middle School"
1.Ask your students to write a word-in this case the word "conversation" or "discussion"in the middle of the paper.
2.For a couple of minutes, students write down associations they make with that word (not definitions). They write whatever comes to mind-metaphors, images, phrases, personal connections-using lines radiating outward, or just clustering ideas free-form on the page. The purpose is similar to that of tilling the soil after the frost; you want to loosen up ideas so there is prime ground from which to cultivate further ideas.
3.Call upon students to share their reflections on the word. Write their ideas on the board or on an overhead transparency for everyone to see.
4.Now help students engage in some critical thinking: Can they group the ideas into categories? What are the broader things to think about regarding real conversations or discussions? (Some broader outcomes for this topic may include: everyone feels valued; each participant can see and hear each other; new ideas about a topic or a book get shared; conversation gives you a better appreciation; everyone's point of view is different, and so on.
5.Ask students: Based on these categories, what sorts of ground rules would help you have satisfying discussions in class?
Involving students in generating rules is crucial, as it gives them a stake in sustaining conversations along agreed-upon lines.
Reflection on a Word also promotes higher-level thinking, useful with any topic. Post the ground rules, as they offer students helpful cues.
Examples for Guidelines for Discussion:
Guidelines for Discussion
- Everyone comes having read the text.
- Everyone needs to talk.
- Listen actively to others.
- Wait for quiet before you speak.
- Raise your hand after someone has finished.No one has a. bad idea..
- Build on other's ideas.
- Maintain eye contact.
Sources:
"Building Literacy Through Discussion: Research-Based Strategies for Developing Critical Readers and Thoughtful Writers in Middle School"